Letter and document distributer.



F; BRISTOW.

LETTER AND noonmnu'r DISTBIBUTER.

'APPLIOATIO'N FILED DEO.12, 1912.

199, Patented Dec. 9, 1913.

v 4 l6 I /7 WITNESSES 2 I INVENTUR in. MQQK 'BY w ATTOREEV FREDERICK nmsrow, or nasr ORANGE, NEW JERSEY.

V Lawns. am) nocmunn'r nrsrnmmn.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK Bnls'row,i a citizen of the United States, residing 111i East Orange, county of Essex, and State of New Jersey, have made a new and useful. Invention in Letter and Document Distr buters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is directed particularly to an improvement upon systems of d str buting papers and documents among individuals or departments in business establishments and other institutions or places, and forms a part of a system two Eeatures of which are covered by prior inventions disclosed in Letters Patent No. 7 53,538, granted to me on the 1st day of March, 1904, and No. 933,156, granted to me on the 7th day of September, 1909, and has for its obJects, first, to adapt devices of the kind disclosed in said patents for more general use in the distribution of such letters or documents as the inventions disclosed in said patents are designed to carry. Second, to adapt the same for use generally in places of business and in public service, where letters, b11ls, reports, and all such documents are designed to be transported from place to place as, for instance, in large business corporatlons and in the transporting of the mail by letter carriers, messenger service and the like.

The inventions disclosed in the beforementioned patents were more particularly designed for removably stationary use upon desks or tables, the documents or articles to be distributed being placed in compartments of the radial distributers from which com partments they were designed to be taken by a messenger and carried to their several destinations.

The present inventionis an improvement upon the system for distribution and consists of a peculiarly designed bag with its interior parts so arranged that compartments are provided corresponding with the compartments in the radial distributer upon the desks or tables. Into such compartments the messenger places the papers found in the desk distributers and so carries them to their destination. Prior to the invention herein described it was the practice for the messenger to classify the papers by disposing of them between the fingers of one hand and attempting to remember the proper destinations, thus incurring liability to mis- Speoifioation of Letters Patent.

Patented nee. a, dfiifi.

Application filed December 12, 1912. Serial No. 736,305.

. takes and necessitating a number of trips before the contents of the desk distriiinters would be entirely distributed. With we use of the device herein described all of the contents of a desk distributor may he distriieuted in one trip of the messenger and the liability to error is eliminated by means of the marking upon the partitions donning the compartments in the bag.

For a full and clear understanding of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to construct the same reference is had to the accompanying drawings, which,

Figure l is a perspeci ve view of the inthe device to quickly select the ietters, doe

uments, or other matter to be distributed.

Referring now to the drawings in detaii, 1 represents a base made of wood, hard rubber, or equivalent rigid material and of the proper length and width-to accommodate the material to be carried therein. This base may be made of flexible materiais to admit of being compressed, if desired, would be an advantage for some sorts of service. 2 represents a reiatively stifi vertical Wall constituting the bark of the device, the same being secured to the base at right angles thereto, and 3 a similar trout "ert-ical Wall, preferably of shorter heigi1t though not necessarily so-iout of similar length, the same being pivoted to the base i to the back and front waiis 9 and 3 as clearly shown. 7 represents a flexible rings which is also secured to the back until rivets, lacing, or any other method desired. 9- represents a shoulder strap secured to the ends of the back wall by metal hooks 8, the

lllii parts so farides'cribed constituting a portable inclosing bag adapted to be carried on one or both shoulders of a person.

10, 10 represent a series of dividing partitions of light, stiff, flexible material which are provided at their bottoms with extensions or ears ll-having holes 12 and at their topswith additional extensions 13 located at a different longitudinal position for each partition, as shown in Fig. 1, each having a tag for manipulating the same. These extensions 13 are designed for indicating thereon the especial character of the docu ments to be distributed, or the names of persons, divisions, or departments, for which the. contents are intended. These characters,

names etc, are located on the extensions so that they will be visible to the person carrying the bag. These partitions are collectively arranged within the bag, as shown in Fig. 2, and held in their respective places by a screw-bolt 15 passing through the holes 12 and secured at the back of the bottom by turning the screw-bolt 15 through the agency of the head 16 andfirmly securing said bolt by the screw-thread 17 thereupon.

18, Fig. 1, represents a clasp for engaging the flap 7 and thus securing the device in closed position. Y

The mode of using the device is obvious, it being apparent that. the letters or materials to be distributed are placed in the various compartments between the dividing partitions, in accordance with the indications of the characters, persons, or divisions on the extensions 13, so that the carrier may quickly turn said dividing partitions by the tags 14 and procure the documents it is desired to distribute.

This device has an especial utility in connection with large business in large business institutions embracing many departments, as department stores, manufactories and the like, or in the distribution of mail by letter carriers, as will be obvious from the nature of its construction. It also has an especial utility in use upon desks and its particular form, embracing a solid bottom 'and'a vertical stiff back, makes it possible to place it upon a desk in such manner that the user can readily open the flap and place therein or remove therefrom the matter desired.

I do not limit my invention to the especial details of construction illustrated in the accompanying drawings, as obviously these details may be departed from in various ways and still come within the scope of my claims hereinafter made. I believe it is broadly new with me to have devised means for transporting light matter, such as letters, documents, and the like, inthe nature of a collapsible bag, with removable adjustable artitions, which is adapted to be folded up and locked in compact form and which when thus folded completely secures and protects the matter inclosed and the particular form of bag, which I have disclosed renders it practical for the user to quickly obtain the desired documents therefrom and to greatly facilitate the distribution thereof.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is- 1. A portable letter and document distributer comprising a wide stiff bottom, a stiff back wall rigidly secured along the rear edge of said wide bottom, a stiff front wall hinged along the front edge of said wide bottom, upwardly-flaring bellows ends connecting, said stifl back and front walls for permitting inwaru and outward swing of the latter to closed and openpositions about its hinged connection to the front edge of said wide bottom, a plurality of partitions .swingingly and slidably connected to the bottom and adapted to be closely confined by the upper edge of said stiff front wall in the inner position of the latter, means for securing said stiff front wall in its inner po-' sition, and carryin means adapted to be attached to said sti back wall.

2. ,A portable letter and document distributer comprising a wide stifl' bottom provided medially with a lateral recess, a stiff back wall rigidly secured along the rear edge of said wide bottom, a stifi front wall hinged along the front edge of said wide bottom, upwardly-flaring bellows ends connecting said stiff back and front walls for permitting inward and outward swing of the latter to closed and open positions about its hinged connection to the front edge of said wide bottom, a plurality of interior swinging partitions adapted to be closely confined by the unner edge of said stiff front carrying means adapted to be attached to said stiff back wall.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses. V

FREDERICK BRISTOW.

Witnesses:

KATHERINE L. EGKERSON, VVILLIAn F. SUTTER. 

